THE ONE I THOUGHT I WANTED

right away and spoke and laughed the entire night. Jake's laid-back demeanor and sense of humor drew Lila in. After exchanging phone numbers, they soon began meeting up often. Lila was

took a weekend beach getaway. Lila connected with Jake

. However, as she got to know Jake better, she saw that he was unique from everyone else she had ever met. She constantly found humor in Jake's kindness an

e, and kind. When she spoke, he listened to her, and he constantly gave her the impression that she was the most significant person in the world. Lila s

er. Despite having been rejected in the past, she said that she had fallen in love with him and hoped that he felt th

gan a relationship based on mutual love, respect, and trust. Lila was glad for the path that had brought her to Jake since she was aware that she might not have been able to love Jake as much if sh

a few informal dates. Lila was eager to learn what Jake had in store after hearing him say it was going to be something spectacular. Lila's favorite flowers were among the bouquet Jake

a lake where a table had been set up for a candlelit meal for two. As Lila sat down at the table, she was rendered speechless. Jake had considered every

he sand, enjoying their beverages and conversing because Jake had brought a blanket and a thermos of hot cocoa. Jake wrapped Lila with his arm as the temperature droppe

ely. Lila watched Jake leave and realized this was the beginning of something great. She had never experienced this feeling before, and she was confident that

. She was cautious about approaching anyone too closely because she had been harmed in the past but Lila found it difficult to resist Jake's charm due to his kind demeanor and sincere interest in her. Jake noticed one day that Lila

ck by how considerate and polite Jake was. Whether they were hanging out at a coffee shop or taking a walk in the park, he always went out of his way to make her feel at ease. Lila often had the imp

o their chats and was eager to meet him once more. Lila began to feel more confident in Jake as she got to know him better. He made her feel secure since she was confident th

in the face of grief and the fact that there were still nice people in the world. Looking back on that first meeting with Jake, Lila realized that sometimes the people who